Happy Birthday Josh!!!!!

Tomorrow is the boy's 21st! Hard to believe it really! It all goes so damn fast doesn't it.

Josh is, in my unbiased view, a very balanced and grounded kind of man. OK, 21 isn't OLD, but I've noticed that he's really rounded off over the last couple of years. Yup, definitely!

He's quite different from me in that respect... and he's a very social person. I was looking through Josh's facebook pics the other day, and here's a few that illustrate how communal he really is..

Communal farting...



Communal yawning...



communal standing on one leg on a post...



communal going 'nuv nuv nuv'...



communal nursing of a sick mate....



communal car sharing...



communal funny walking...



communal passing out...



communal pointing...



communal saying of 'oh NO... sheeeeiiis gonna blow cap'n!'



there are lots more but you get the picture! Another skill he has is the ability to distort his otherwise chiseled features into very unflattering poses... and still be man enough to put them on his page!





...some of them were probably beyond human capability before now....!

this one for example... .after some bad coffee?...



or this!



GOD! Someone buy him a horse!

But I'm not really surprised. He's always been his own man... and taken on all comers. I don't think he EVER had a toy gun! Those many who know and love Josh, know that he knows his own mind and speaks it, sometimes too plainly, but sometimes with great sensitivity and grace. I can honestly and humbly testify that he has at times shown himself to be more of a man than I was, and I've really learnt a lot of life skills from him that have made raising the other kids in my life more fulfilling.

A long time ago now, he was passionate about my little pony toys... and this picture was taken when he'd just got a new jumper knitted by his grandmother (my Mum).



He was SO chuffed with it!

Even now he's a bit less macho than most of his mates....



... but he's always been able to get himself across somehow..



or this time at our wedding as my best man...



when he excelled even himself!



often a showman...



there have been times when he was spotty...



or inquisitive, especially with books..



and he's always liked parties....no matter how small...



...even when he only invited himself!



Here's one of my favourites:



Another thing that I've always loved and appreciated is his support of his sister Molly. There are LOTS of pictures over the years that evidence this. Here's one of a long time ago...



and here's one from recently.... same love, same guy, just older.



He's really great with his little sisters too, and they REALLY miss him.







Here they are saying goodbye the last time Josh was here in Oz...





He can be thoughtful..



...and he smiles a lot...





..and he's so cool...



... that even camels fancy him!



...ooooh YES!



Giz a hug!



Happy 21st Joshie... We ALL love you!